Rickie Fowler won a fight with Adam Hadwin, Collin Morikawa and the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit by sinking a 12-foot-long birdie on the first playoff.
Fowler said, “I knew that it was only a matter time given the way I played.” This was his sixth PGA Tour career title.
The longest winless streak of his Tour career was 1,610 days or 4 years, 4 months, 29 days.
He was ranked no. The Official World Golf Ranking has him ranked at 185. Fowler began working again with Butch Harmon, his former coach, late last year. His game has steadily improved. Fowler entered this week’s race having placed in the top 20 of 12 of his 15 starts so far this year.
He said, “I’ve never felt better about my game or on the course than I do now.”
Three players were tied at the top of the final stretch after inclement weather was predicted to force the early conclusion of the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Fowler was 2-for-10 when it came to converting the 54 holes. He held the lead after 54 holes at the U.S. Open just two weeks earlier. He birdied three of his seven first holes, including the 46-footer on No. The lead was lost when he failed to make the most of the par-5s. He came through in the end, squeezing his shot at 18 down to 3 feet.
Fowler returned to the 18th for the first playoff. He flared his drive into trouble, but had a clear view of the green. He knocked his shot to 11 feet. This was the closest of all three playoff competitors.
Morikawa shot an 8-under-par 64 at Detroit Golf Club, despite not having won for two seasons. This was an eternity to the 26-year old two-time major champion.
Morikawa stated, “Playoffs are a pain when you’re not on your side.” “You can put all your effort into it, and yet it comes down to just one hole. But that’s golf.” You have to be able to perform and execute your shots.
He was the first to achieve 24 under par and take the lead in the tournament. His birdie at 18 tied the course record, but the putt burned on the left side. In the playoff, his approach to the green was airmailed and his birdie putt from just off of the green fell short.
“I thought I had hit the perfect shot, but I was just a bit elated and went a little too far,” said Morikawa.
Hadwin, 35 years old, was looking for his first victory since the 2017 Valspar Championship. This drought is even longer than Fowler’s, and it wasn’t lost to Hadwin or Joe Cruz, his caddie.
I looked at Joe and asked, “Why don’t you do this more often?” Hadwin recalled, “This is fun.
Hadwin’s final-round score of 67 made it three-way tie at 23 under. A birdie on 15 tied Hadwin with Morikawa. He slid his approach shot to 18 off the green but got up and went on to shoot 67 to join Morikawa with a score of 24-under-264. Hadwin’s attempt to birdie the first playoff hole was a left-edge burn.
He said, “That putt in the playoff looked really good. Just a little hard.”
